Finning - getting used to long blades

[OTGav]

Am used to training in the pool with snorkelling fins and scuba but with wide and short blades. Just got some long freedive fin and my legs seems to be a bit unsure about themselves all of a sudden.

I suspect it's becuase I have developed a number of bad habits (for freediving at least) doing scuba - frog kick half the time, no real need for speed............

Now I find myself in a totally different world starting out spearing - want to get down quickly and efficiently, no clatter of blades. Relaxed and sleek is the order of the day.

Any advice on how to get used to long blade fins and how to improve my finning would be great, any good training methods that promote good form?

My bad habits at the moment (I think) are that I'm taking my legs off at an angle out form my body line on the upstroke to avoid hitting the other blade. Upstroke and down stroke seem to be very uneven in power - and (as if that weren't enough) I think I'm going to blow and ankle if I keep adding a little flick for power at the end of my down stroke.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Surfnsun]

G,day mate. I had exactly the same trouble for my first 2 or 3 dives when i got my first long fins recently. I just practiced swimming on my back and watching my fins so i could keep them aligned with my body. So maybe give that a try, it worked well enough for me anyway. goodluck

 

[spear4food]

Hi otgav, it might help if we knew what fins you were using and what stiffness?

 

[sgnips]

swimming on your back is a good advice, i would suggest swimming on each side, alternating, always giving a look to your legs, that shall not bend at the knee
the legs movement shall come from your hips while your body shall remain still (or just not dancing, at least)
and if you can find someone with a cam, seeing yourself in video is great in this cases

 

[OTGav]

I have a set of Imersion E:black - not sure where they sit in terms of stiffness.

I'll give some side finning a go - that sounds like just the thing I need.

sgnips - Legs straight? I had thought that some bend in the knee was the way, but I can go back to a regular straight legged "freestyle" swimming leg kick from the hip if that's better.

 

[sgnips]

what we teach is "keep your leg straight, don't bend", because this usually works while students try to do that and bend their knee just a few degrees (those little bend we want)
very often they tend to bend a lot, and trying to make them do the opposite error, we can correct them quite quickly
i usually teach, also, to bend the knee the way you would do on a normal walk

 

[OTGav]

Thank you for the extra clarification. That all makes sense to me.

Had a better time in the pool today, finning on the side worked well. Also found a slight change in style helped a great deal.

Unlike scuba and what I thought was right for freedive - very slow relaxed, to use less O2 - putting on some force and effort in covering the distance was a big improvement, these longer fins seem to reward the extra input much more than I am used to.

Still clipping the fins very slightly against each other now and then but getting better with side and watching while on the back.

Thanks for advice so far.

 

[sgnips]

Still clipping the fins very slightly against each other now and then

ok, that's normal, but do not be tempted to space your feet to resolve: maybe making some pressure with your hallux while kicking back will help (would feel like you're twisting you foot, but not for real...)
the same would be on kicking forward, with your nails pushing (it's really hard for me to tell in english, but take a few minutes walking slowly, and concentrate on what happens to your toes)

and... let us see some vid, guy, take a camera and share your finning!

 

[OTGav]

Video to follow - just as soon as I get my hands on a friends camera :head